[RichardMEL]

Hi experts,

When I had my lady at the vet the other day the vet gave me a sample of Hills Feline t/d and said she (the cat, not the vet ) should only be on something like this rather than the wet + (regular) dry food combo I am feeding her. I was wondering what the considered opinion on this is - I've read in here many comments about a strict dry diet causing urinary tract problems and the like (I mentioned this to the vet and she said it ns't really an issue these days). She also touted 50% less stool as a side benefit.

I'd be quite happy to switch to just dry as I don't have to worry about food going off if she doesn't want to eat straight away etc. I don't want to do the wrong thing by my kitty and I wonder if perhaps my vet is acting as a bit fo an agent for Hills - you know, pushing the product on the side rather than what might be appropriate for my kitty (I don't mean that in a rude way - it's the first time I've been to the vet since I'm a new owner. It just seemed a bit like a side sales pitch to me - perhaps hoping I'll come back and buy regular supplies from them or something).

I'd be interested in the general opinion from people here...

 

[queen of the nile]

t/d is the dental one right? I can't remember...
I would not switch to completely dry food diet. The idea that your kitty will produce 50% less stool is a myth. Cat's produce less stool on wet food because they are able to use the food more completely. Also the idea that cats are no longer experiencing urinary crystals is a load of bunk. Do not believe it for a minute. I hate it when professionals dismiss your concerns with ignorance :evil: .
I agree that the vet is making a sales pitch. I also realize, however, that s/he is probably not doing it to just make money. Vets get very little nutrition information during their education and what they do recieve is taught by a Hills representative. The Hills products contain by-products as their only meat ingredient. I think they also contain corn but I am not sure. I would not recommend any of the vet prescription foods (I used to feed my cats MediCal). They all contain inferior ingredients.
What are you feeding your kitty right now?

 

[RichardMEL]

wow! strong opinion

I'm feeding my kitty (please don't hate me everyone!) regular cat food.. ie: whiskas (which is the big main brand of commercial food here - don't know if it's a worldwide brand or not). I feed about half a can a day and have a seperate bowl of dry food (same brand) for her to nibble on as she pleases (she doesn't eat much of it at any one time, so it's more for her teeth having something to crunch on etc).

And yes, t/d is the dental one.

 

[queen of the nile]

Well, if your feeding Whiskas, then t/d would be better. I just really object to how Hills or the other prescription brands cost the same as a food that is much better quality. It really irks me that vets push these foods on clients without having better knowledge. It's like the blind leading the blind :roll:. But yeah, I think getting your kitty on a better food is a very good idea, regardless of my opinions on the prescription foods. Nutro Natural isn't that bad for price and is a fairly good food. I would check around, because feeding an inferior food now can lead to expensive vet bills in the future. Here's another strong opinion, but Whiskas is like feeding your kitty fast food everyday. I am not trying to jump on your back but rather give you the facts straight :wink:.

 

[Annissa]

I just wanted to jump in and say I'm in 100% agreement with queen of the nile. You're all probably really tired of hearing about my cat's diabetes, what caused it and how I'm controlling it now, so I won't reiterate. But if you want to talk about inferior food causing expensive vet bills later in life I can certainly fill you in.

Honestly, I bring it up so often because I was completely ignorant on the quality of different brands of food and I just don't want anyone else to go through what Sabby and I went through. It was hard on me, it was harder on him, and it was hardest of all on my bank account.

 

[kitkat]

I feed my cats Chicken Soup and they love it. When I used to feed them Hills I/D it was sooo greasy and the ingredients weren't even that good for the price. I feed them a bit more wet food now b/c dry doesn't reduce tartar more than canned food.

 

[RichardMEL]

thank you I do apprieciate your opinions - that's why I asked. I certainly don't want to be doing anything bad for my kitty, so I shall check the pet shops and see if I can do something better for my furry friend.